Delegate Melinda Fredricks read aloud a letter condemning recent changes to the national Republican party's rules that would allow the GOP presidential candidate to veto and replace state delegates.
"Our delegates are in shock that such an amendment even would be presented before the Rules Committee much less passed into rule," Fredricks said. "Please know from the Texas delegation standpoint that the only way a floor fight can be avoided is for this rule to be stricken."

At that point, the entire Texas delegation stood up and applauded.

Texans don't necessarily want to have an ugly floor fight on the same day the party officially nominates Mitt Romney. But they're willing to do it if their concerns about the rule aren't satisfied. The changes, which Mitt Romney's top lawyer put forward last week and Gov. Haley Barbour along with some other Romney supporters have embraced, are seen by opponents as intended to significantly weaken the power of grassroots politics and insurgent candidates such as Ron Paul. Many against the move worry that it would give national candidates the power to replace delegates--often grassroots party faithfuls--with big-time donors or friends.

"We truly consider that an infringement on our rights," Fredricks, a member of the rules committee, told Yahoo News of the changes. Today, states generally choose their delegates at state conventions, and then those individuals travel to the national convention to cast their vote for a candidate based on the share the candidate won of the primary or caucus vote of each state. But, the changes could allow a candidate such as Mitt Romney to boot out any delegates who are assigned to vote for him and replace them.

While opposition to the rules began with Ron Paul supporters, it has spread to the entire Texas delegation and significant portions of those from South Carolina, Colorado, Virginia and Louisiana too. Mitt Romney's lawyer Ben Ginsberg proposed the rule, but some Romney supporters are staunchly opposed to the changes. Indiana delegate and Romney supporter James Bopp wrote in an email to RNC members that it's "the biggest power grab in the history of the Republican Party." Fredricks, a Romney supporter, says only 30 people of the more than 300 Texan alternates and delegates support Ron Paul, yet the delegation is "united" in its opposition to the rule.

Or it just proves what has been said all along. That the Republican Party as a whole is not fond of Romney.

Forgive my spelling. This was sent from my phone.

Locke

08-27-2012, 08:26 PM

Man, I really wish the Neo-cons were still here to spin this...

LouPhinFan

08-27-2012, 09:14 PM

:baghead:

phins_4_ever

08-27-2012, 09:16 PM

Man, I really wish the Neo-cons were still here to spin this...

Let me try:

It's all about the constitution.
Heil Romney. Heil Ryan.

:)

Valandui

08-27-2012, 09:45 PM

This may be a little cloudy because of how our election cycles are set up in the age of mass media, but the nominee isn't the the official nominee until they are named as such at the convention. To give the presumed nominee the ability to replace opposing delegates with his own before the convention is beyond ridiculous. It shows for anyone looking that the whole thing is rigged.

Locke

08-27-2012, 10:07 PM

This just shows that Democracy has long left this country. Your elected officials can be replaced now. Jefferson and Washington are turning in their graves...

"The leadership of the Republican National Committee and the Romney for President campaign has heard the concerns of the conservative grassroots voices in our party and has crafted an amendment to the Rules adopted on Friday to address these concerns," Bopp wrote in an email to Republican National Committee members. "At the same time, the revised language closes a loophole in our party rules, which previously failed to include a penalty for delegates who break their promise to vote for a particular Presidential candidate as required by state law or state party rules."

Bopp explained the impetus for the proposed change, in the first place, as fear that Ron Paul supporters bound to Mitt Romney would break party rules and instead vote for Paul. The rule sought to prevent that risk at future conventions, Bopp said.

The compromise language simply states that delegates must vote for the candidates to whom they are bound, Bopp said. If not, they'll be kicked out of future conventions and votes will be cast on their behalf.
The deal likely will not, however, allay some concerns of Ron Paul supporters.

The same new rule effectively bans future implementations of Paul's campaign strategy - of organizing and amassing delegates at state conventions - by requiring states to allocate delegates by statewide vote. Bopp's deal does not change that.

Don't forget, we've never actually chosen a candidate for President. We vote for delegates and electors, and they, in turn, vote for a candidate. Neither are required to vote for the candidate they are pledged to (excluding Michigan and Minnesota).

Maybe I'm misreading this (it's been a long day) but this rule change seems pretty populist to me.

Spesh

08-28-2012, 01:43 PM

A convention-floor fight (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/gop-convention-floor-fight-threat-looms/) might still be brewing in Tampa. Fla., over a proposed Republican Party rule on delegates...

Fanning the flames, Sarah Palin posted to her Facebook page urging Republican National Committee members to revolt against the proposed rule, which was supported by backers of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Palin wrote Monday night (http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin/posts/464351206919086):
Had a great time today in Gilbert, Arizona, at a rally for Kirk Adams. It's very important to pay attention to these down ballot races like Kirk Adams, Jeff Flake, and Paul Gosar in Arizona. We have to remember that this election is not just about replacing the party in power. It's about who and what we replace it with. Grassroots conservatives know this. Without the energy and wisdom of the grassroots, the GOP would not have had the historic 2010 electoral victories. That's why the controversial rule change being debated at the RNC convention right now is so very disappointing. It's a direct attack on grassroots activists by the GOP establishment, and it must be rejected. Please follow the link to Michelle Malkin's article (http://michellemalkin.com/2012/08/27/floor-fight-grass-roots-activists-battle-attempt-to-rig-gop-convention-delegate-rules/) about this.

Bopp's compromise would eliminate the ability for presidential candidates to veto state delegate selections, instead mandating that delegates vote as they are bound by primary or caucus results, but fellow RNC members are not all on board.

According to internal RNC emails, some members will push for a "minority report" to block the delegate rule change, attempting to push that to the convention floor for a vote, potentially adding a show of disunity to Mitt Romney's coronation as the party's presidential nominee.